Machine for cutting off heads and tails of fish.



P, D. CLEVELAND: MACHINE FOR CUTTING OFF HEADS AND TAILS OF FISH.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 23. 1910.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 smzms SHEET 1.

F D. GLBVELAIJD, NE FOE CUTTING OFF HEADS AND TAILS OF FISH.

MACE! APPLIDATION EILBD JULY 23, 1910.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 BHEETS'-SHEET 2.

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FBMTCIS 1'3. CLEVELAIFQ, F WINCHESTER, ELASSACEUSETTS, ASIGNGR T0 NIL'LIILM UNDEEFFOQE CGEJ'IZ' MTE, OZ"? BGSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. A CORPS-321511613 OE Ivfiiihib cn'osnrrs.

FDR CUTTING HEADS AND TAILS GE Application filed July 23, 191i 1' all QliLOi'fl it may concern.

lie it known that l, FRANCIS D. Curr.- mxn, :3. citizen of rho United States, residing at lVinchesier. in clie county of Middlesex and State of lilassochnsetts, have in vented new and useful lnipro'i'emenis in Machines for Cutting Oil Heeiis and Tails of Fish, of which the following o specification.

This invention relates to a machine for cutting oil the heads and tails of fish, such, for instance, as the fish known sardines, preparatory to canning the some.

The invention consist-s in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings: F1 ure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 3 is detail sectional elevation taken on line '22 of Fig. i. Fig. (lei sectional elerei-ion when on line l -3 Fig. 1. Fig. l is a (let-ail sectional eevotion taken on line 4i 01 Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is detail section taken on line c; Fig. showing the lower end of the semicircular cover and the rotary cutters in their rele tive location thereto, and a poriion of one of the. partitions of the carri r shown in section.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the severe views of the cl In the drawings, 5 is the frame of the machine and 3 is a rotary carrier with 0( cts 7, 7 provided in the periphery of said carrier for the reception of the fish from which the heads and tails are to be remove-cl. Saicl pockets are separated one from the other by partitions 3, 8 extending longitudinally of the carrier 6. The carrier, as a Whole, is fastened to a shaft 9 journalal in suitable bearings 10 on the frame of the machine and is roiated in any suitshle mannor, as for instance, by e pulley fast to said shaft 9.

The fish are delivered to the machine through env suiiahle chute, as, for insiance, the chute indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and pass from said chute onto a guideplote 11 which is slotted to allow the teeth 12 of a feed Wheel 13 to projeci tlrerethrough, said feed Wheel being fastened to a. shai't 1e anal rotated by apulley 15 in the direction of the errors a. The teeth pr Specification of Letters Patent atom-eel 23, Serial No. 573.515.

jecting lhriiiugh the guieicpi fish along clown said guiileplat-e the right- (F l) and into the pociiets as ssicl pooh-c of SillCl place, a curricr bein the direction or thesrror: 5.

3. trey 16 is loomed s curricr l5 encl eratcnc ng iloiinvisn 1 beneath said troy 'w the bottom oi; Elli. car rier is a cover 1'1 ihe inner l? are connecreci two pipes 21 anal "so -which wsier supplied by pipes 23 and 2%.

The pipe 21 leads into an outlet orifice 525 formed in the cover 1? {see Fig. and jusi shove said outlet orifice is s deflecting place 26 which. clefiects the water'in opposite rlireclions from the center of the carrier toward the outside thereof, and in a direction sub stnniiolly parallel to the face of said cover. The opposite ends of the pockets 7, Z are suhsiontiallj' closed, "to prevent the fish from being driven out of the pockets by she flow of the water, by annular gages QT and 28, respectively, these gages heing festeneii to the shaft 9 21115. adjustable longitudinally of said shell; to accommodate varying lengths of fish, eccor ling to the size fish which are being hanillecl by the l echine. The outlet of the pipe 2? is similar in all respects to the outlet of the pipe 21 just clescribecl and is provided also with a deflecting plate 2-9 (Fig. l).

The pipes 21 and 22 are located just in ml- Vance of a pair of rotary cutters 30 and 31 which are fastened to a shaft 32 jonrnalccl in suitable hearings cn-iihc frame. of ane machine and rotaiecl by any suiiahle mechanism, such, for instance, as a pulley (not shown in the drawings) These rotary cutrers project into the pocl-tets l, 7 the carrier rotates zinc; extend transversely of soicl pockets- The igartitions 8 are provided with slots 33, to allow the cutters lo projcct into said pockets and *hese slots are in pass down the two chutes 36 into a recepta- Z-le 37.

Water is supplied to the machine hereinbefore described at various points, wherever it may be required to float the fish down the chute and along the inclined guide plate 11 and also wherever it may be required to wash and cleanse the fish, and also wherever it may be required to position the fish properly in the pockets.

It will be understood that as he fish are delivered to the carrier, there my be one, two or three delivered to a single pocket, or

they may be delivered with their heads all pointing one way, or they may be delivered in various positions, as, for ihstance the fish may lie longitudinally within the pockets or they may extend transversely of the pockets. It is, however, the object of the invention to have the fish lie longitudinal ly of the pockets with their heads against the annular gages 27 or 28, as the case may be, in order that when the heads and tails are cut from the fish, they shall be cut at the proper point and not spoil the fish by cutting the same in the Wrong place. Therefore, as the rotary carrier 6 is rotated from the point at the left where the fish are firstfed into the pockets by the feed wheel 13, pipes 38 are arranged to deliver water at the periphery of the feed wheel and preferably slightly at an angle, similar to the arrangement of the pipes 18 and 19 (Fig. 4). The number of pipes may be one, two or three, as may be desired'and as found most efficient for the class of fish which is being handled, and

other pipes may be arranged along the periphery of the carrier, if desired, the object being to float the fish longitudinally of the! pockets, so as to position the same, as hereinbefore described, with their heads adja- .cen: to the annular gages.

It will be understood that sufficient force might be irected through one set of pipes, such as thE pipes' 38 or the pipes 18 and 19, to force all of the fish longitudinally oi the pockets up against the gages, but if sulficientforce is thus supplied to drive the fish all up against the gages by one'setzof pipes, they will be driven with so much force that when the heads strike the gages some of the fish will bounce back and thus they will not be properly positioned. Therefore, it has been found more racticable to supply water to the pockets rom pipes discharging at the peripherycf the carrier andat different points around the periphery in order to secure the best results. To this end the pipes are placed as at 38; others are placed as at 18 and 19 and still others are placed as at 21 and 22, so that gradually the fish are positioned roperly longitudinally of the pockets, and finally, when they arrive at the pipes 21 and 22, the fish are positioned'with their heads against the annular gages 27 or 28, as the case may be,'and in readiness for the rotary cutters to sever the heads and tails from the bodies. It will also be noted that the ouiiets of the pipes 21 and 22 are so close to the rotary cutters 30 and 31 that the fish are practically held with their heads against the annular gages, while the heads and tails are being severed from the bodies by the rotary cutters 30 and 31.

The general operation of the inechanism hereinbefore specifically described is as follows: The fish pass down the chute 10 and are delivered therefrom onto aguide plate 11, along which they are pushed by the teeth 12 of the feed wheel 13 and into the pockets 7, 7 of the carrier 6. l Said carrier rotating in the direction of the arrow 1) carries the fish upwardly until the pockets pass the pipes 38. At this. time any fish which are not located in the pockets and lying longitudinally; thereof, but which ex tend transversely of the pockets'and outside the periphery of the carrier'will be forced off of the wheel back onto the guide plate 11 by the streams of water which issue from the pipes 38; also any fish which are located 100 in the pockets will be carried to a certain extent longitudinally of the pockets to bring their heads against the annular gages 27 or 28 respectively. Upon a still further rotation of the carrier, the fish are brought 105 around toward the right (Fig. 1) until the pockets containing the same pass behind the cover 17 and just at the upper end of this cover and below the tra 16, jets of water issue from the pipes 18 and 19 and the fish 11;) are lifted and arranged still better longitudinally of the pockets by.reason of the inflowing streams of water from said pipes 18 and 19, and as the pockets, with the fish therein, pass the outlets of the pipes 21 and 115 22,- said fish are carried by and in the diverging streams of water from the central 1 portion of the carrier completely toward the gages 27 and 28 at opposite sides of said carrier, so that the heads of the fish will be 129 brought gently up against the gage 27 or,

the gage 28 and held there by the flowing streams of water. Then, upon further rotation of the carrier the heads and tailsvof the fish are cut ofi by the rotary cutters 30 and 31.

In Fig. l, a fish 39 is indicated located in the pocket 7. and this fish is just in position to be cut by the rot arycutters 30 and 31. Said fish is lying within the pocket 7 at the lower end of the cover 17 which acts to support the fisn andto coact withthe cutiers 3G and 31 as they pass through the slots 410, (Fig. 5) in the lower end olt'said cover, the partition 8 of the pocket acting to push the fish aga nst the cutting edges of the rotary cutters. Thus the fish is held during the cutting operation by the inflowing streams of water from the pipe 22 with itshead against an annular gage, the head.

and tail are cut oil by the rotary cutters, and the fish, as a whole, is pushed toward the rotary cutters to assist in the cutting operation by the partition of the pocket, and said fish is held by the cover during the cutting operation until the heads and tails are severed from the bodies, whereuponthe bodies pass downwardly between the rotary cutters SO and 31 along the chute 3% and into the re- 3G and 31 in the operation of severing the heads and tails from the bodies of the fish, and further in pushing off the heads and tails and the bodies of the fish, after they have been severed, onto their respective chutes, as hereinbefore set forth.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that the fish are floated by the streams of water toward the gages 27 and 28, with their heads resting against said gages, by reason of the water being directed in streams longitudinally of the pockets in opposite directions fromthecentral portion of the carrier and substantially parallel to the inner face of the cover 17, andes soon as they arrive with the heads or tails bearing against the gages 2-7 or 28, as hereinbefore described, they are then immediately brought into contact with the rotary cutters which, being rotated very rapidly, sever the heads and tails with speed and precision.

It will be understood that as the fish 3.1",

rive at the pipes 38 they are roughly positioned in the pockets; then when they arrive at the pipes 19 and 20 they are positioned still bettdl in the pockets, leaving them all ready for the special final action of the streams 2; and 22, and these final streams 21 and 22 extending parallel to the inner surface of the cover float the fish as if they were floating in a stream of water naturally outward toward the gages until the heads of the fish are resting against the gages, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I, claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure 1s:

l. A machine for cutting fish having, in

combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets its periphery, a cutter continually projecting into said pockets, mocha nism to move said cutter transversely of said )oclrets while said carrier is in motion and uid means for shifting the fish on said carrier to positions where'they can be cut by said cutter.

2. A machine for cutting fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, a pair of rotary" cutters continually projecting into said pockets transversely thereof while seir carrier is in motion, means to impart a rotary motion to said cutters and fluid means for shifting the fish on said carrier to positions where they can be cut by said cuctcrs.

3. A machine for cutting fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, a pair of rotary cutters I continually projecting into said pockets, means to impart a rotary motion to said cutters while said carrier is in motion, gages at opposite ends, respectively, of said pockets, means to feed fish into said pockets and fluid means for shifting said fish on said carrier to positions where they can be out by said cutters.

4. A machine for cutting fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, partitions on said carrier separating said pockets from each other and extending longitudinally of said carrier, a cutter projecting into said pockets transversely 'cliei eof said partitions having slots therein in alinement with said cutter and fluid means for shifting said fish on said carrier to positions where they can be cut by said cutter.

5. A machine for cutting fish having, in combination a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, a pair of rotary cutters projecting into said pockets transversely thereof, means to impart a rotary motion to said cutters, annular gages at opposits ends, respectively, of said pockets and fluid means for shifting said fish on said carrier to positions where they can be cutby said cutters.

6. A machine for cutting fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, a pair of rotary cutters projecting into said pockets transversely thereof, means to impart a rotary motion to said cutters, annular gages at opposite end's, respectively, of said pockets, and means arranged in advance of said outters adapted to direct a stream of water longitudinally of said pockets.

7. A machine for cuttingfish having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, a pair of rotary cutters projecting into said pockets transversely thereof, means to-impart a rotary motion o said cutters, annular gages at opposits ends, respectively, of said pockets,

and means arranged in advance of said cutters adapted to direct streams of water longitudinally of said pockets in opposite directions from the center to the opposite ends of said pockets, respectively.

8. A machine for cutting fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, a pair of rotary cutters projecting into said pockets transversely thereof, means to impart a rotary motion to said cutters, gages at opposite ends, respectively, of said pockets,.'a semicircular cover adjacent to the periphery of said carrier and means located in advance of said cutters adapted to direct streams of water longitudinally of said pockets in opposite directions'from the center tothe opposite ends of said pockets, respectively, in a direction substantially parallel to the inner face of said cover.

9. A machine for cutting fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, a pair of rotary cutters projecting into said pockets transversely thereof, means to impart a rotary motion to said cutters, gages at opposite ends, respectively, of said pockets, a semicircular cover adjacent to-the periphery of said carrier and means located inv advance of saidcutters adapted to direct streams of water longitudinally of said pockets in opposite directions from the center to the opposite ends of said pockets, respectively, in a direction substantially parallel to the inner face of said cover, and means to feed fish intosaid pockets.

10. A machine for cutting fish having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, a'pair of rotary cutters projecting into said pockets transversely thereof, means to impart a rotary motion to said cutters, gages at opposite ends, respectively, of said pockets, a cover adjacent to the periphery of said carrier provided with slots into which said rotarycutters are adapted to project, and means located in advance of said cutters adapted to direct streams of water longitudinally of said pockets.

It. A fish cutting machine comprising a conveyer movable in a given direction, buckets on said conveyer extending transversely thereof and of the direction of movement of said conveyer and means for directing a head of Water onto said buckets "intermediate the ends of said buckets to move fish toward the opposite ends of said buckets.

12. A fish cutting machine comprising a fish conveyer movable in a given direction, pockets in said "onveyer extending transversely of said tonveyer and of the direction of moven'ient oi said conveyor, and omens consisting of a water conveyor adapt ed to direct water upon said pockets at an angle to the length of said pockets to move fish toward the opposite ends" of said pockets.

13. A machine for trimming the ends of articles comprising a movable pocket adaptr ends of said artic'les which are at the frontof the same when moved by the fluid pressure. i i

14:. A. machine of the class described ineluding conveying means, separate oppositely disposed cutting means, and means for directing fluid under pressure against the contents of the conveying means to shift said contents successively into position for engagement by the respective cutting means.

15. The combination with an endless series of longitudinally channeled holding devices. of cutting elements adjacent the paths of the ends of said device's, means adjacent said paths for directing jets of fluid in opposite directions respectively, and means for shifting said series of holding devices to bring each device successively into register withthe jet directing means.

16. In an article snipper, the combination with a movable carrier, and a severing device for snipping the ends of articles on the carrier, of fluid means for shifting the articles on the carrier to positions where they can be snipped by the severing device.

17'. In an article snippet, the combination with a carrier provided with pockets, and a severing device for snipping articles in the pockets, of fluid means for shifting the articles longitudinally in the pockets to positions where they can be snipped by the severing device.

18. In an article snipper, the combination with a carrier provided with pockets and a severing device for snipping the articles in the pockets, of means cooperating with the carrier for closing some of its pockets, and

a fluid nozzle acting on pockets so closed to shift the articles longitudinally in thepockets to positions where they can be snipped by the severing device.

19. In an article snipper, the combination vvith an endless carrier having article receiving pockets. of a fixed means coiiperating with said carrier to close the pockets, a severing device for snipping the articles in the pockets, and fluid, means for acting on the pockets closed by said fixed means" for shifting the articlesin' the pockets to positions xvhere they can be properly snipped by the severing means.

20. An article snipper comprising a support for the articles, a stop for the ends of the articles on the support,and fluid means for moving the articles on the support toward the stop.

21. In an article snipper, the combination with a frame comprising a pair of side pieces, and an endless carrier arranged between said pieces, of means cooperating with the endless carrier to close some of the pockets, a. fluid nozzle supported by one of the side/pieces and directing fluid into the closed pockets to shift the articles longitudinally, and severing means for acting on the shifted articles.

22. An article snipper comprising a support provided with apocket, 'a stop for one end of the pocket, severing means arranged to pass between the pocket and the stop, and fluid means adapted to shift the article loi'igitudinally in said pocket.

23. A machine for cutting articles having, in combination, a, rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, acutter projecting into said pockets, a cover, the inner face' of which is adjacent to the peripheries of said carrier and of said cutter and fluid means for shifting said articles on said carrier to positions where they can be cut by nism to move said said cutter.

"2-1. A machine for cutting articles having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, a cutter continually projecting into said pockets, mechacutter transversely of said pockets, a cover, the inner face of which is adjacent to the peripheries of said carto the peripheries rier and of said cutter and fluid means for shifting said articles or said carrier to positions where they. can be cut by said cutter.

25. A machine for cutting articles having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided with pockets in its periphery, arotary cutter continually projecting into said pockets, mechanism to move said cutter transversely of said pockets, a cover, the inner face of which is adjacent to the peripheries of said carrier and of said cutter, annular gages at opposite ends, respectively, of said pockets and fluid means for shifting said articles on said carrier to positions where they can be cut by said cutter.

26. A machine for cutting articles having, in combination, a rotary carrier provided withpockets in its periphery, a rotary cutter located beneath said carrier and continually projecting into said pockets, mechanism to move said cutter transversely of said pockets, :1 cover located beneath said carrier the inner face of which is adjacent of said carrier and of said cutter and fluid means for shifting said articles on said carrier to positions Where they can be cut by said cutter.

Tn testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS D. CLEVELAND. \Vitnesses Lorns A. JONES, CHARLES S. Goonmc. 

